There are a number of 55+ communities in Ocala, FL and on this page we offer information about some of the best ones selling new homes in Ocala today.

If you are seriously considering making the Ocala area your home in retirement, be sure to check out our Ocala Retirement Guide.

And, if you are interested in other parts of Florida, be sure to check out our list of all 55+ communities in Florida.

On Top of the World

At On Top of the World, active adults will find all they dream about and so much more. Located in beautiful Ocala Florida, On Top of the World residents can enjoy any schedule that suits their tastes – from activity packed to unhurried.

Leisure amenities include 54 holes of golf on three courses, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, a 14-acre R/C flying field, bocce, racquetball and basketball courts, fitness center, health club and spa, restaurants, cultural venues, and much more.

Residents can also participate in over 175 clubs, leagues, hobbies, and lifelong learning opportunities.

New homes are of quality construction, often exceeding ENERGY STAR criteria while offering comfort, convenience, and a wide variety of design elements.

There are about 20 different floor plans available with prices ranging to suit every budget starting in the $200k’s.

What's nearby: Downtown Ocala: 11.2 miles Paddock Mall: 8.4 miles Silver Springs State Park: 20 miles Appleton Museum of Art: 15 miles Circle Square Cultural Center: 2.5 miles

Del Webb Stone Creek

Stone Creek is a Del Webb Florida community of 3,800 attached villas and single-family homes in Ocala, Florida. Residents here have access to first-class amenities like the 60,000 square foot social and recreational complex. The community is also home to an 18-hole golf course designed by Terry Doss.

Homes at Stone Creek are available in many different models that range in size from 1,133 square feet all the way up to 2,634 square feet.

What's nearby: Downtown Ocala: 12.6 miles Paddock Mall: 8.7 miles Silver Springs State Park: 18.8 miles Appleton Museum of Art: 16.9 miles Circle Square Cultural Center: 2.9 miles

JB Ranch

With construction that just started in 2017, JB Ranch is one of the newer 55+ communities in the Ocala area. Plans here call for a total of 346 single-family homes, and the list of amenities includes a community clubhouse, fitness center, and outdoor pool with patio seating.

Homes range in size from 1,641 to 2,034 square feet and include many of the most popular features on the market today.

What's nearby: Downtown Ocala: 11 miles Paddock Mall: 8.2 miles Silver Springs State Park: 17.4 miles Appleton Museum of Art: 16.5 miles Circle Square Cultural Center: 3.2 miles

Ocala Preserve (Partial 55+)

Ocala Preserve is a 623-acre community of 1,600 single-family homes located in Marion County, Florida. Amenities here include a 17,000 square foot clubhouse with a state-of-the-art fitness center, a zero-entry resort-style pool, and an 18-hole championship golf course.

New homes at Ocala Preserve are available in six different collections that range in size from as small as 1,320 square feet up to 2,370 square feet.

What's nearby: Downtown Ocala: 6.8 miles Paddock Mall: 8.2 miles Silver Springs State Park: 12.1 miles Appleton Museum of Art: 10 miles Circle Square Cultural Center: 11.9 miles

Other Ocala 55+ Communities

The concept of retirement is not new to Ocala, and the area is also home to a number of communities that have been around for several years but are all sold out of new homes, like Oak Run. Here are some homes in 55+ communities in Ocala currently on the market:

Not in Ocala (But Not Too Far)

The following communities may not be in Ocala, but they are well within striking distance and close enough to Ocala to grab a bite to eat, catch a show, or visit any of Ocala's various attractions.

With a planned total of more than 600 single-family homes, Arlington Ridge has been a large part of the local community of Leesburg, Florida since construction began in 2005. Residents here enjoy access to large-community amenities like an 18-hole championship golf course, a massive community center, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a resort-style swimming pool, and a 50-seat community theater.

New construction buyers at Arlington Ridge can choose from multiple builders, which means that there are dozens of home styles and floorplans available here.

Located just north of Orlando, Lakes of Mount Dora is a gated community of 950 single-family homes that combines 178 acres of lakes with New England-style architecture. Amenities here include an 18,000 square foot clubhouse complete with a fitness center and a banquet facility. Then there is the resort-style pool and hot tub outside.

Lakes of Mount Dora offers a few different ranch-style homes that range in size from as small as 1,263 square feet all the way up to something as large as 3,700 square feet.

With more than 60,000 attached villas, manufactured homes, and single-family homes, The Villages is one of the largest active adult communities in the entire world. With three different town squares, more than 35 community centers, more than 80 different pools, and more than 50 different golf courses, the list of amenities available to Villagers as residents are affectionately known goes on for days.

Just like the list of amenities, the list of floorplans available around The Villages is massive. You can pretty much find anything your heart desires in Florida’s most-popular retirement community. Homes here start out in the $200k’s, but there are also plenty of high-end options with prices ranging all the way up into the high-$1Ms.

The Villages of Citrus Hills is a Florida Retirement Community with single family homes and maintenance free villas that have been built with today’s demanding baby-boomer in mind. But what makes the promise of Florida Retirement in the Villages of Citrus Hills truly come together for today’s new breed of active adult retiree is its extraordinary collection of world-class community country club amenities and extensive social activities.

A wide variety of homes and homesite packages are available.

OCALA, Fla. (WCJB) - A chain of legal troubles is pushing market vendors out of the Ocala Mall as they try to keep their small businesses afloat.

Several vendors announced on social media they are closing their stores at the Ocala Mall, located at 3711 E Silver Springs Blvd.

“We just are in the dark. A lot of the vendors have held on hoping that we would hear something and then we would be able to remain in place but we haven’t heard anything,” said Christine Brown.

TV20 reached out to Ocala Mall management about the closure. Ocala Mall management cannot release a statement due to an ongoing lawsuit.

Brown says her husband, a vendor, was told to pack up and get out.

“Some of them aren’t local and they don’t have people to help them pack up, they don’t have storage areas to put all their merchandise,” said Brown.

This comes after a lawsuit involving Ocala Mall management and their landlord, All Dreams Realty. They are two separate entities.

According to the documents, mall managers claim the landlord breached provisions of their lease by not replacing the building’s AC units.

The landlord sought an order, requiring the tenant deposits past due rent into the court registry. Management claims that after deducting the cost of supplying temporary AC to the building, they paid the proper amount.

One of the landlord’s managers testified the tenants never directly paid All Dreams Realty rent since opening for business last February. A judge ordered they deposit more than $500,000 to the Registry of the Court.

A writ of possession was filed this month, requiring everyone to leave the property.

TV20 received a statement from All Dreams Realty:

All Dreams Realty is sympathetic to the problems and issues facing the vendors of the Ocala Mall. They deserve better. To be clear, All Dreams has no contractual or business relationship whatsoever with any of the vendors in the Ocala Mall. Those vendors have contractual or business relationships exclusively with Mr. Park or his management company, Ocala Mall Management, Inc.

All Dreams is currently involved in litigation to evict Mr. Park from the property. Since the time Mr. Park opened the Ocala Mall for business, he never directly paid All Dreams a single rent payment.

All Dreams will be taking steps to allow vendors of the Ocala Mall to take possession of their belongings from the mall as soon as possible. Our hearts go out to them as they determine their next steps.

All Dreams Realty

Brown encourages people to continue shopping small and support their favorite business on their next endeavor.

“These small businesses give people a chance to work around different issues,” said Brown. “It puts money in the pockets of people who are going and spending that money, not into big corporations.”

RELATED: Ocala small business owners struggle with holiday sales

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Copyright 2024 WCJB. All rights reserved.

Monday, April 8, is solar eclipse day. Here's what you need to know:

When will the eclipse happen near me? What will it look like?

This story has a guide by ZIP Code. It tells you when peak watching time will be in your area.

In the U.S., totality will begin in Texas at 1:27 p.m. CT and will end in Maine at 3:35 p.m. ET. Florida should have a 45% to 75% chance of "maximum partial eclipse," according to Great American Eclipse online. Expect to see a thin crescent shape to a thicker crescent shape.

When to watch the eclipse in Ocala. How much will you see?

When the partial eclipse begins: 1:45 p.m. EDTMid-eclipse time: 3:02 p.m. EDTMaximum percentage of sun blocked by moon: 61.4%

What will the weather be like for the solar eclipse?

According to the National Weather Service, Monday should be sunny with a high of 83 degrees in Ocala.

AccuWeather is predicting a moderate risk for clouds across the majority of the peninsula, with a high risk for clouds in South Florida and stretching north along the East Coast.

There's a low risk for clouds in North Florida and the eastern portion of the Panhandle. Northwest Florida is where the largest portion of the sun will be blocked by the moon, and the AccuWeather forecast is calling for a moderate risk for clouds.

Learn more about the weather forecast here.

What's the safest way to approach the eclipse?

This story provides details about glasses and general safe practices. Do not look directly at the sun without special and appropriate protection. NASA provides some additional guidance here.

Is there live video coverage of the solar eclipse?

Yes. Check it out here:

Are restaurants offering special deals on eclipse day?

What does the Bible say about the eclipse?

Should I really wear red or green today?

Where can I go to watch the eclipse with other people?

This story includes information from USA TODAY and Jennifer Sangalang and Cheryl McCloud of USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida

When it comes to hurricanes, the national media usually focuses on Florida towns that suffer major hits. But the Wall Street Journal has just published a long article about Ocala/Marion County for the opposite reason — because the area usually escapes hurricane damage.

The article, which went online Wednesday night and was in print on Friday, describes this area's relatively low risk of flooding, hurricanes and wind damage. It also highlights Ocala/Marion's natural beauty, horse farms, relatively low housing prices and friendly residents. All those factors and more are reasons people cite for moving here from other, more weather-exposed parts of Florida, the article notes.

The online headline: "Why this Florida city is a safe haven from hurricanes."

The Daily Mail from the United Kingdom picked up on the WSJ story and published a story of its own, headlined "Why is THIS Florida city a 'safe haven' from hurricanes while others in the state struggle to insure their storm-battered properties?"

More local business news:Longtime Ocala family business has been acquired by Texas-based national giant

Exposure like this "keeps Ocala on a lot of people's radars," said Bartow McDonald, managing director of Ocala-based SVN | McDonald & Company, which specializes in land and commercial real estate.

"People are constantly on the search for the next piece of paradise," McDonald said, and Ocala checks a lot of the boxes they are looking to fill.

Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of the Ocala Metro Chamber & Economic Partnership (CEP), also was happy to read the story.

"We are very pleased to see the Wall Street Journal featuring Ocala as a 'save haven' from severe climate events," he said. "We know this is important to families looking to relocate to our community but also to businesses. In fact, it is now part of our marketing to highlight the weather facts we enjoy here compared to other communities."

jross@gannett.com

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Wolfy’s of Ocala on Silver Springs Boulevard is the kind of place where folks gather for home-like cooking and camaraderie.

Not much has changed in Wolfy’s, which has been feeding the locals and visitors since 1983. It remains a link between nostalgia and comfort. “Welcome to Wolfy’s: Where Friends Meet Friends” is written on the wall and the menu. There are 30-plus employees and it’s a breakfast, lunch and dinner operation.

On Jan. 2, Diane German and her son Anthony Viktora took over the local landmark from original owner John Wolf. German has been in the restaurant business for over 30 years, owning five other Marion County establishments throughout the years. German stepped out of retirement once she heard that the eatery was up for sale.

The legacy of this restaurant is what appealed to German and Viktora.

“My son decided that I don’t need to be retired anymore, so here we are at Wolfy’s,” German said with a chuckle. “Wolfy’s has been here for 40-plus years, it’s a very well-established business.”

“It’s a staple of Ocala,” Viktora added.

He’s been in the restaurant business since he was 15 years old, working alongside his mother in a variety of professional kitchens.

“I just love what I do,’’ Viktora said. “I don’t believe in luck, it’s been a blessing, so we’re here for a reason.”

While the Leesburg Wolfy’s is still owned by the original owner, the Ocala location is German and Viktora’s newest project. Many of the staff have been there for five, 10, 15 or 20 years.

“I prayed really heavy about it. Right away the employees thought, ‘Are we going to have to look for another job?’ and I said, ‘No, I can’t do this without you guys. I want you guys here with us.’ So, I kept everybody,” German added.

German hired two part-time chefs who are developing homemade soups and different specials.

“Every Friday will be our prime rib special, and on the 17^th of every month we’ll have our corned beef and cabbage special. Eventually, as soon as I feel comfortable, we’ll be open on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.,” she said.

“A lot of people were worried about drastic changes. We’re not making drastic changes because it works. So why do we want to change anything?” she said.

For the past 30 years, Hal Barrineau has met at the restaurant with his pals and family, where they talk about the new days, the old days and everything in between.

“We solve all the problems of the world, we try to,” Barrineau said half-jokingly about his usual dining pals.

“When I come here and see people, it’s kind of like a meeting place for different little groups of friends,’’ he said. “I constantly see people here who I’ve developed relationships with in business and other things over the years.”

Barrineau added that he keeps coming back because of the people, the convenience of the location, the food and the “excellent service.”

Elizabeth Ellis has been a day shift server and hostess at Wolfy’s for 20 years. She said it’s the people that have kept her there.

“I love the customers. We know them by name, it’s almost like ‘Cheers,’” Ellis said.

“I just enjoy being here,’’ she said. “I love serving, I love seeing the people and it’s become family.”